Media Alert - Release of 2012 Report Card on Wait Times in Canada

Canada NewsWire

OTTAWA, June 15, 2012

OTTAWA, June 15, 2012 /CNW/ - On June 19, the Wait Time Alliance (WTA)
will release its seventh annual report card, giving Canadians a picture
of how long they have to wait to access a broad range of medical
procedures and services.

Details of the report card will be discussed at a technical briefing for
media via teleconference. They include:

grading performance in the five initial areas using pan-Canadian
government benchmarks and grading a wider range of
procedures/treatments using WTA benchmarks;

assessing Canadians' total wait time to access necessary care;

identifying variations in Canadians' access depending on where they
live;

grading provincial wait time websites;

shedding light on the impact of alternate levels of care (ALC) on wait
times;

highlighting efforts by the WTA and governments to improve timely access
to care

The Wait Time Alliance technical briefing for media via teleconference:

Date and time:

June 19 at 10 a.m. (EDT)

Speakers:

WTA Chair Dr. Chris Simpson

French spokesperson Dr. Suzane Renaud

Dial-in number:

888-789-9572 - pass code:3328868

Instant replay:

905-694-9451 or 800-408-3053 - pass code: 4579686

Documents will be available at 8 a.m. (EDT) June 19, under embargo until 10 a.m. (EDT). For copies, email: dominique.jolicoeur@cma.ca.

Individual interviews with spokespersons from WTA member organizations
may be arranged after the technical briefing.

The Wait Time Alliance (WTA) is a partnership comprised of the Canadian
Anesthesiologists' Society, the Canadian Association of Emergency
Physicians, the Canadian Association of Gastroenterology, the Canadian
Association of Nuclear Medicine, the Canadian Association of Paediatric
Surgeons, the Canadian Association of Radiation Oncology, the Canadian
Association of Radiologists, the Canadian Cardiovascular Society, the
Canadian Medical Association, the Canadian Ophthalmological Society,
the Canadian Orthopaedic Association, the Canadian Psychiatric
Association, the Canadian Society of Plastic Surgeons and the Society
of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada.